Tommy Merlyn
History (Submitted by Operator) Tommy Merlyn: 1972 - 1990 The son of Malcolm Merlyn and his second wife Rebecca Barrow-Merlyn, Tommy was mostly raised by his father's servants as his parents were divorced when Tommy was still only six and his father was often traveling for his business. When his father was in town, the only quality time he spent with his father was when Malcolm took him hunting or practicing archery. Eager to please his father, Tommy worked hard at mastering the bow and arrow in his downtime. He hoped if he got good enough, his father would spend more time at home. When Tommy was ten, his wish almost came true. Malcolm had taken a sabbatical from his business and began working as an archery coach for a business associate's son. Tommy got to come to these appointments with his father and train alongside this boy who was close to Tommy in age. Though Tommy was apprehensive at first, soon he and this other boy bonded over their mutually difficult relationships with their parents. In no time, Oliver Queen and Thomas Merlyn were surrogate brothers. Though their friendship ran deep, so did their rivalry, constantly pushing each other to new levels of accuracy in archery. Both had the chops to make it to the Olympics and such talk of that proved to be a matter that cemented the relationship of Robert Queen and Malcolm Merlyn and it was not long after that the two began doing business together. Tommy Merlyn: 1990 - 1993 When the boys were teenagers, Ollie's parents died while on safari in Africa. Robert's friend Walter Steele became the guardian to Oliver and his baby sister Thea and he didn't see the merit in the archery lessons with Olympic prospects now that Oliver needed to prepare to inherit his father's business. Steele let Malcolm (and Tommy) go and Malcolm went back to his constant travels. But that did not hinder Ollie and Tommy's friendship, if anything they became closer, thick as thieves they were. Walter felt Tommy was a bad influence on Ollie at first but eventually he realized that Tommy just needed a role model, so he embraced Tommy and began to take Tommy to the same after-school business lessons that he dragged Ollie too. Soon Tommy began to see that archery was not his only talent, he was a real people person with a head for numbers and a certain savvy with business instincts. Tommy Merlyn: 1993 - 1998 Tommy did not get on the ill-fated yacht trip for Ollie's birthday, having overslept after a night of excessive celebration (and being secretly drugged by his father). When Ollie went missing and was presumed dead, Tommy went on a nasty bender, he officially gave up on his dreams of Olympic gold, and would spend most of his time in Europe. Despite being on another continent, Tommy would often return to Star City regularly to be there for Thea on important days, feeling like it was his job to be something of an older brother to Thea with Ollie gone. After five years, Tommy finally made his official return to Star City when he heard Ollie had returned from the grave, having been rescued after being "stranded on a desert island." Ecstatic to see Oliver again, Tommy insisted the two spend all the time in the world together and was more than happy to enable Ollie's return to a hedonistic lifestyle. Tommy Merlyn: 1998 - 2007 Tommy and Ollie became business partners with Ollie investing in Verdant and Tommy running it. All seemed right with the world and eventually, after Tommy stumbled on the Arrowcave, Ollie brought Tommy on board as part of Team Arrow for a brief time. But Tommy had an emotional meltdown when he learned his father was an assassin who had used Tommy as part of his cover identity. He also discovered that he had a number of half-siblings, Oliver's little sister Thea among them. After he drunkenly punched Oliver when his friend tried to intervene in Tommy's bender, Tommy gave up on Star City again. Catching the next flight to Europe, Tommy was gone. Ollie had intended to pursue him but the League of Assassins put Ollie's loved ones in their crosshairs and prevented him from doing so for several months. When Ollie did finally track Tommy down, he wasn't there to stop Tommy from drinking, instead joining him. In a Zandian bar, Ollie told Tommy that Thea had run away, Dinah had left him, and a villain from his past named Prometheus had killed Ollie's adopted son Roy Harper. This news had a way of sobering Tommy up and he insisted that he help Ollie track this bastard down.Network Files: Tommy Merlyn (1/2) Tommy Merlyn: 2007 - 2015 Using the underworld contacts he had fostered after all his gadabouting, Tommy was able to help Ollie track down Prometheus to Vlatava. In a matter of a month, the two friends were able to find the location of Prometheus' lair. When Ollie went in to confront the terrorist and murderer, he told Tommy to stay behind. Ollie found the lair empty and decided to lay in wait. Only thing was, Tommy disobeyed his friend. Tommy followed Ollie anyway and when Ollie didn't come out, Tommy feared the worst and grabbed a spare bow and quiver from Ollie's van. Inside the lair, Tommy found Ollie knocked out and chained to a wall. After Tommy slapped him awake, Ollie told Tommy to get the hell out of there and save himself for Prometheus could return any moment. Like a true friend Tommy said "Ollie, screw yourself. I'm not leaving you." Seeing as Tommy wasn't gonna leave without him, Ollie told Tommy to break off an arrow head and give him the shaft to see if he could pick the lock. Tommy broke the head off an explosive arrow and played lookout while Ollie worked on the lock. Ollie had slipped half of his restraints when Tommy got distracted. All it took was that moment for Prometheus to get the drop on the bow brothers. Taking Tommy hostage, Prometheus thought it was only fitting to threaten to torture Tommy in front of Ollie, holding Tommy's face over a heated forge. Ollie begged Prometheus not to do it, crying out that he'd give him anything, but Prometheus only laughed. That evil laugh convinced Tommy that this man would never stop hurting his friend. Defiantly, Tommy told Ollie "Don't you give him anything, Oliver! This bastard's already taken too much from you! Tell my dad he's a son of a bitch!" and with that, Tommy triggered the explosive arrowhead by slapping it on Prometheus' faceplate. The explosion engulfed the room and critically compromised the structure, allowing Ollie to free his chains from the wall itself. As the building collapsed, Ollie grabbed his friend and left the headless remains of Prometheus behind. It was only after Ollie brought Tommy back to their safe house that he realized Tommy was not dead. Ollie quickly took Tommy to Dr. Pieter Cross and paid him handsomely to keep the matter between them. Cross was able to save Tommy... but the damage to Tommy's face was extensive and he would require ample time for recovery. Feeling responsible for this, Ollie brought Tommy back to Star City with him. Tommy found his friendship with Ollie challenged, even though Ollie covered all of Tommy's medical and psychiatric costs. Tommy had become deeply traumatized by the damage to his body and also at the pain of having taken a life. When he and Ollie or Thea did talk, Tommy often remarked that his new face reflected his soul and felt he was destined to become a killer, like his father. After a year of avoiding Ollie, Tommy slipped out of the penthouse luxury clinic that Ollie had set up for him, leaving a note behind. The note read: "Ollie, Don't blame yourself. Heaven knows I don't. I'm not mad at you. You're the only thing in my life that I've ever cared about. All the drinking, the drugs, the women, and partying... All of it was poor attempts at filling this emptiness in me. You were the only thing of substance in my life. You, and Thea, you're the only real family I ever had and yet... I can't escape my genes. When I killed Prometheus, I felt alive. Killing him was the only thing I've ever done that felt like it was an actual goddamn accomplishment. I was happy to finally give you something for all that you've given me... and I wish I would have given you my life, too... but fate's a bitch, huh? The worst part of enjoying what I did is having to live with the realization that I'm murderer, just like dear old dad. Don't look for me. I need time to find who I am. I need time to convince myself that I'm not my dad. If I stayed in Star City, it was only a matter of time before I would take another life to protect you or Thea... Be safe, Ollie, and keep shooting straight. ''- Tommy"'' Tommy did an excellent job of hiding his digital footprint, living off the grid, and covering his tracks. I honestly have no idea what he did or where he went from 2009 to 2015 but then his journeys led him down a curious street where he quite literally bumped into Thea Queen. After a long talk over glasses of milk, Thea and Tommy bonded over their mutual contempt for their father and their emotional struggles with the red in their ledgers. When Thea tried to convince Tommy to go back to Star City and look after he brother, Tommy chuckled and bid her farewell. But when Tommy tried to leave the bar, he found the door would not budge. As Tommy prepared to kick the door open, the letters on the business' hours of operation sign shifted to read "I hear you know how to run a bar... Would you like a job?" Broken Arrow: 2015 - Present Missing Data Supplemental Reports * (Submitted by Operator) Tommy Merlyn suspects enjoyment of hunting and killing people is in his genes. He both wishes to explore and avoid this concept. He had gotten into bar fights when provoked, only to then suddenly surrender himself to a brutal beating when he's close to victory as a way of punishing himself for indulging in violence in the first place. * (Submitted by Operator) SEALED * (Submitted by Paragon) Danny the Street is hard to track, but I have managed to find a few dozen confirmed locations for Danny from the past three years. I've linked reports of a masked vigilante within five miles of Danny on no less than nine instances. I can't confirm that this vigilante is Tommy, but I suspect it is and he's found a way to channel his rage. Threat Assessment Resources * Expert Athlete and Acrobat: Tommy is a decent acrobat, a talented runner, and an all-around athletic individual. * Gourmet Cook: Oliver might know how to cook chili, but Tommy once trained under a classical French chef and according to Dinah can make an omelette that is "ridiculously delicious." * Master Martial Artist: Without any actual training, except moves picked up from a dozen different sparring partners, Tommy can hold his own against most untrained combatants... and he has no qualms about fighting dirty. His father tried to teach him but as a child, Tommy never did like hurting people. * Peak Physical Conditioning: Rumor has it that Tommy had a salmon ladder put into his apartment. * World-Class Archer: Though he once gave Oliver a run for his money, Tommy had let his training slip. But with some warming up, he can hold his own among other world-class archers. * World-Class Hunter, Tracker, and Survivalist: Tommy is every bit as skilled in this area as his best friend Oliver Queen. * World-Class Knife Handler/Thrower: Tommy is just about as skilled with throwing knives as he is with a bow. That's to say he's damn good. * World-Class Swordsman: Trained alongside Oliver by his father, Malcolm Merlyn, Tommy is a highly proficient fencer and swashbuckler. * Customized Composite Compound Bow: When he left Star City, Tommy took an unpainted metal bow from Ollie's collection. Weaknesses * Identity Crisis * Possible Sadism * Scarred (Easily Identified) * Slacker: Just like Oliver Queen, Tommy is a slacker at heart. Tommy often doesn't like to take things too seriously... except for when he does. * Women: Tommy is weak to the charms of women. He has never had any relationship longer than a month or two.Deluxe Oracle File: Tommy Merlyn Trivia and Notes Trivia * He and Veronica Sinclair have some unexplained history. * He has a relaxed approach to his secret identity and takes little effort to conceal it. * He is friends with Sara, Rip, Rose and Roxanne from the Legends, and other Udderly Delicious frequenters like Larry Trainor, Rex Mason and Flex Mentallo. Notes * Tommy Merlyn is a character originating from the Arrow TV Series. His appearance is based on the actor who portrayed him, Colin Donnell. * Tommy's scars are a nod to his appearance in Green Arrow, Vol. 5, but in the comics he received them in a terrorist attack. * Rebecca, Victor and Violet are characters from the Young Animal comic Mother Panic. Links and References * Appearances of Tommy Merlyn * Character Gallery: Tommy Merlyn Category:Characters Category:The Legends Members Category:Team Arrow Members Category:Dannyzen Category:Doom Patrol Members Category:Peak Human Condition Category:Martial Arts Category:Blue Eyes Category:Brown Hair Category:Americans Category:Relaxed Identity Category:Archery Category:Throwing Category:Tracking Category:Submitted by Operator Category:Managers Category:Male Characters Category:Al Ghul Family Category:Survival Category:Height 5' 11" Category:27th Reality Category:Scarred